Every MBA dreams of landing that terrific first job and launching a career about which books will be written and legends narrated at post work sessions. But what if that first job feels terrible not terrific?
It has been about three months or so since new MBAs across the country have embarked on their careers. For many, this is the first job. While some are enjoying the experience an equal if not larger number are feeling disillusioned. Thoughts are turning to making a change and the restlessness is growing.
As I teach at a business school, my phone is now ringing and the complaints are pouring in.
If you are in this boat, the decision is whether to switch or stay put.
Here are some of my thoughts.
Starting anything new involves a period of adjustment. A new relationship, a new school, a new boss or even a new spouse. It takes time for both sides to learn and grow accustomed to each other. After an initial few weeks or months, comfort and understanding replace awkwardness and unfamiliarity. Almost inevitably things settle down. Sometimes it does take inordinately longer than usual and that will stretch your patience. While it is easy to walk away, you are only resetting the clock and will have to start another new job with similar settling in issues.
My view is that we all need to develop the skill of “digging in” and “bunkering down”. If you can build this trait, it will serve you well, especially when circumstances turn adverse, which they always do.
Joining a new company at the entry level sometimes can be a daunting challenge. I’ve been reading many LinkedIn posts by newcomers who praise their companies for making them feel welcome and going the extra mile to settle them in smoothly. But equally, there will be many companies that don’t quite do a good job of this.
Irrespective, as a fresher you really need to give yourself the time to understand and appreciate the company, its culture, people, philosophy, processes and of course the business fundamentals. This can take at least six months if not a year.
Use this first year to appreciate the company and the business from all angles. Whether you are in Sales or Marketing, Finance or IT doesn’t really matter. A company is a living, breathing ecosystem. Information flows both formally and informally. Processes that are rock solid on paper often function only because teams have developed unique codes of cooperation and mutual understanding. A chat near the coffee machine is more productive than the minutes of a meeting with Next Steps, Timelines and By Whom diligently recorded. You will never learn all this if you bail out in a few months.
Spend time getting to know the movers and shakers in the system. Who in Accounts is deciding the sequence in which payments are being processed? You will need him or her on your Friends list when you have an urgent advance to be released. Which Regional Sales Manager will give you the best promotional ideas that will help you bridge that last stubborn gap to achieving the monthly target? Getting on his speed dial list should be your priority. And so on across every department and organizational layer.
Apart from the Who’s Who, you need to master the What’s What.
Become a guru and master every dimension of the business. Who your main customers are, what are the key raw materials in your product and which suppliers are the most reliable, what are the standard lead times to ramp up supplies and at what cost, what is the competitive portfolio that consumers see when they shop for your category, how effective is your advertising? This list really doesn’t end. If the brand or business belonged to you, I bet you’d know it all.
And that brings me to my final thought. If you are immersed in the business, showing up in teams and platforms where major issues get addressed and contributing to driving the business forward, there won’t be time to feel unhappy and unfulfilled. You would have actually charted your own path, gained skills and experiences that you know will become your lifelong assets and earned a reputation as a solid performer who can always be relied upon.
It is possible that along the way, great job offers and exciting career breaks will land on your radar. When that happens, make your move. Take a new job knowing that you’ve juiced the current one and this change will be a step up in your career.
Until then, dig in and get as much as possible from your present job. Build an enviable performance record and a sterling reputation so when you finally outgrow the job and spread your wings, all your colleagues will cheer you out the door and up the ladder.
Till that happens, put your head down and work.